There will be two things I remember about this year’s MTV Video Music Awards: Britney’s classic performance and Universal Everything’s excellent show graphics.
Under the direction of UE’s founder, Matt Pyke, the VMA package is a refreshingly rough collection of jump cuts, low-fi graphics and pop-culture totems that crackles with energy. In addition to the broadcast graphics, UE also handled content for the LED walls and other stage elements.
UE’s work always blends solid design with an experimental approach, which is probably one of the reasons they’ve managed to consistently create innovative work for so long. Matt has a restless mind, always dabbling in this and that, looking for an unexpected angle on familiar design challenges. That attitude alone is reason enough to celebrate UE’s portfolio.